What Does Protein Powder Do to You?

Protein powder can have both positive and negative impacts.

Protein is a macronutrient essential for good health. It builds and maintains lean muscle mass, strengthens your immune system, repairs damaged cells and tissues, manufactures hormones and can function as an energy source when your dietary carbs are low. The protein in your diet can come from whole-food sources or from supplements such as protein powder. Before adding this type of supplement to your meal plan, however, it is helpful to understand both the positive and negative effects protein powder can have on you.

Background

Supplement manufacturers create protein powder from high-quality sources, such as milk, soy or eggs. They contain all the essential amino acids, which are those that your body cannot make and therefore you must include in your diet. You can mix protein powder into a beverage to boost its protein content, or you can incorporate the powder into other foods – for example, cereals, baked goods, yogurt or pudding – to increase your protein consumption. They come in a variety flavors, including chocolate and vanilla, to improve their palatability.

Benefits

In addition to providing high-quality protein, protein powder is convenient for making an on-the-go protein shake when you are out and about. The powder itself needs no refrigeration, and you can easily mix it with juice or water at the gym or on the road to help maintain your daily protein intake. Depending on the source of the protein powder, it can offer specific fitness benefits. For instance, whey-based protein powders contain high levels of branched-chain amino acids. These amino acids, combined with an exercise program, can help build muscle, prevent muscle breakdown and assist in post-exercise recovery. Protein powders containing casein supply your body with a slow-digesting form of protein, which ensures your cells receive a steady supply of this nutrient.

Drawbacks

On the other hand, protein powder comes with disadvantages. Because it is convenient and can be easy to consume, you may take in more protein than your body can assimilate. The extra protein will then either burn as a fuel source – rather than, say, helping build muscle mass – or convert to fat stores in your body. In addition, you may be allergic to one or more of the proteins in the powder you consume, or your digestive tract may react badly with any lactose present in milk-based supplements if you are lactose intolerant.

Whole Foods

Whole foods can easily supply all the protein you need if you are in good health, states sports nutritionist Nancy Clark. This holds true even for competitive athletes. Furthermore, whole foods can be less costly than commercial protein powder. An additional benefit of whole-food proteins is the other nutrients they contain, such as calcium in milk, which also supplies whey and casein protein, and iron in lean red meat. If you choose to include protein powder in your regular meal plan, you may be better off using it on occasion rather than as a staple, both to minimize its negative effects and to benefit from the overall nutrition in whole foods.

About the Author

A writer since 1985, Jan Annigan is published in "Plant Physiology," "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences," "Journal of Biological Chemistry" and on various websites. She holds a sports medicine and human performance certificate from the University of Washington, as well as a Bachelor of Science in animal sciences from Purdue University.